Understanding Environmental Issues

Understanding Environmental Issues asks 'What is meant by the term "environment"?', 'Why are environmental questions so pressing?' and 'How can we make sense of environmental issues?' The book begins with an investigation of an estuary and touches upon the issues of sea-level change, over-fishing, nuclear waste disposal, and management of biodiversity. Subsequent chapters take the topic of species extinction to introduce the concepts of time/space, values/power/action, and risk/uncertainty.

Part of the OU-Wiley Environment Series

Is the answer to sea-level rise the building of higher flood defences? Does it matter if tigers go extinct? Can we afford to wait to see if genetically modified crops pose a hazard to environments or should they be banned before the evidence is in? These are just some of the questions which are addressed in Understanding Environmental Issues. Blending insights from science, social science, arts and technology, this book takes a unique and groundbreaking approach to environmental questions. By introducing a set of themes and analytical tools, readers will be able to approach a range of environmental questions with important insights which will allow them to make reasoned and informed arguments.
* Topics include climate change, nuclear waste disposal, extinction, biodiversity conservation, genetically modified crops, international development

* Cross-cutting topics include environmental change, environmental conflicts, environmental hazards and risk, and environmental values

* frequent activities encourage readers to develop their skills and appreciation of the issues

* the text is richly illustrated with examples from Brazil, India, Mexico, the Pacific Islands, the UK and US.
The book is part of a series entitled Environment: Change, Contest and Response. The series forms a significant part of an interdisciplinary Open University course on environmental matters. The other books in the series are: Changing Environments
Contested Environments
Environmental responses